Reading Vampire Academy
by MolnijaRose
Summary: What happens when the gang are given a box full of books all about their lives? How will they react and what dramatic, and sometimes damn right hilarious things will occur? This idea has been tossed around so much but I hope you give this one a shot!
1. Chapter 1

**Hey guys! I'm back after such a long, long break, but I promise to be online more often and upload more!**

**Whilst I was gone, I discovered some new fantastic books and joined some even wackier, amazing fandoms. I know this idea has been done so many times but I love, love, love these type of stories! Thank you for reading!**

**Hannah xx**

When I awoke the next morning, my body was smashed against a warm, rippled chest with fantastic muscles and skin which felt like heated ice against my exposed cheeks and pyjama covered upper body. I sighed happily and giggled when I heard Dimitri's chest rumble; he lifted a long hand and traced my forehead with the edge of his fingers.

"Good morning" he murmured hoarsely, his voice still laced with sleep which made his rough, ultra sexy Russian accent even more pronounced. I sat up in his arms and placed my hands at the back of his neck; my nails scraping gently at his chocolate brown locks, pulling them slightly in the way I knew he loved.

"Morning" I whispered, smiling cheekily. He grunted lightly and leaned in, his nose rubbing against mine in a sweet Eskimo kiss, but I wanted more and intended to get it in one way or another.

I leant in even closer and kissed him, lightly at first but then with a more forceful, bruising pressure. He ensnared one arm around my waist and levered himself above me. I groaned as one of his hands went down to the bottom of my baggy sports top I'd stolen years ago at St Vladmir's and began to bring it up so my stomach was exposed and flat against his own chiselled torso. Things would've probably led to more, but obviously someone decided to knock on the door of our apartment and end what had only started a few mere minutes ago.

"Fuck this" I moaned, grabbing my pillow and launching my face on it. Dimitri chuckled (that bastard) and grabbed a shirt before padding to the door to ask the people out there, (I hope in my exact words) what the actual fuck are you doing so freaking early?

"Rose!" a soft, feminine voice squealed. Lissa. I pulled my head away from my bed and smiled as she bounded inside and swung the door shut and sat down next to me. She held a box (which actually looked pretty heavy) and giggled nervously as I brushed some of my long hair out of my eyes.

"So, what's up? It better be good as well, you kind of interrupted some" I raised my eyebrows knowingly "special time between me and Dimitri". She laughed wholeheartedly, but still looked somehow troubled. The bond was gone, but I could still read her like an open book. It was easy to spot her unease, it was almost contagious.

"Liss?"

"Someone knocked on my door this morning". My Guardian senses pricked up and I clasped her hands tightly in mine protectively.

"Who was it?" I urged. She laughed.

"No one. They left before I saw their faces". She pushed the box she was holding towards me and leant over to undo the box's tape closing. It looked like one of the ones you got if you bought tons of shit off Amazon. They were usually filled with clothes; Lissa had at least six wardrobes, but this one wasn't. There were six books, all of them paperback and glossy.

"So? They're books". She shook her head and took the box back before I could get a better look.

"Get dressed and then come out. Wear something comfy, we'll probably be a while".


	2. Chapter 2

When I walked out of my bedroom, clad in a pair of skinny ripped jeans and a white shirt dotted in red specks, my eyes almost bugged out of my head and onto the floor. Mine and Dimitri's leather sofa was seated with people, and when I say people I mean Adrian, Sydney, Mia and Eddie. On the floor sat Lissa, Christian and a smug looking Dimitri, and on the chairs which were usually placed around the kitchen table but had been dragged into the living room, _My parents._ What the hell?

"What the hell?" I exclaimed.

"You mean, why is this ultra sexy guy with amazing abs sat on your couch?" Adrian catcalled. Mia giggled and pulled me into a hug as Sydney smiled and hit Adrian over the head with a pillow. Eddie stood up and swung his arm around my shoulders in a brotherly way and ruffled my hair.

"I haven't seen you in a while, Rosie". I swatted at him and Christian shouted in the background, "Rosie Posie". I swung my head around and smirked at the little shitbrain.

"Christina, I would say I missed you, but then I would be lying. How are the church attic's around here?" Lissa blushed crimson as Eddie and Adrian laughed and slapped my hands. I smiled and went to sit down next to Dimitri, but obviously that meant on his lap. My Mum sent him a death glare and he shrank away into my shoulder, but Abe barely lifted an eye and smiled broadly at me before winking. Maybe he wasn't as bothered as he had been about mine and Dimitri's relationship. That would be a first.

"So, what are we all doing here?" I asked. Lissa smiled knowingly and opened up the Amazon box and lifted out a book. Christian looked at the cover and burst out laughing.

"OMG Rose is that you?!" He grabbed the book out of Lissa's hands and showed everyone in the room. The picture had been taken when I was seventeen and Lissa had insisted we put on loads of make up and pose. I still had a few of the pictures on my phone.

"What the?!" I launched for the book but Lissa grabbed it before I could reach and turned to the back and began to read.

"**Lissa Dragomir is a Mortal Vampire. She must be protected at all times from the fiercest and most dangerous vampires of all-the ones who will never die".**

"Wait..hold up. Are you saying you're in this book?" Mia said. Lissa looked at all of us, especially me (oh shit) and smiled. "Not just me. We're all in it".

"**Rose Hathaway is Lissa's best friend"**

"Oh snap, I'm in it!" I shouted. Dimitri placed his arms around my waist and smiled against the skin of my neck.

"**-And her bodyguard".**

"Fuck yeah!"

"Rose!"

"Sorry".

"**Now after two years of illicit freedom, they've been dragged back inside the iron gates of St Vladmir's Academy".**

My Mum shot me a death glare, but I just took one hand and held it up to cover her face.

"You don't understand why I did it, why I had to leave and get us out of there. Please just realise that I wouldn't have taken her away if it wasn't a life or death situation".

Abe smiled at me broadly and Lissa nodded.

"Miss Hathaway, Rose would never do anything to hurt me. She's my best friend and if someone's going to hurt me, it'll be my mascara brush". Everyone laughed and Dimitri kissed me and whispered, "I'm proud of you" huskily in my ear.

"**The girls must survive a world of forbidden romances," **everyone waggled their eyebrows at me and Dimitri, except from my Mum and Abe who looked like they'd commit a hit and run without looking back.

"**A ruthless social scene and terrifying night-time rituals. But above all, they must **_**never **_**let their guard down, lest the immortal vampires take Lissa-forever".**

"That shit sounds creepy" Adrian said, breaking the silence.

"Who wants to read first?" Lissa asked. I wringed my hands and held them out.

"Hit me with your best shot" I sang, making Eddie chuckle. I coughed loudly and opened the book, turning to chapter 1.

"**I felt her fear before I heard her screams".**

"Oh no" I whispered.

"What?" Dimitri asked, concerned.

"Shit it's in my point of view". Adrian hooted really loud and Christian looked mildly horrified.

"Did you think about Dimitri a lot when you first came back to the Academy?"

I hummed against my hands and nodded. He groaned.

"**Her nightmare pulsed into me, shaking me out of my own dream, which had something to do with a beach and some hot guy rubbing suntan oil on me".**

This brought out a few laughs and a few _tsk_ looks from my parents.

"**Images-her-not mine- tumbled through my mind: fire and blood, the smell of smoke, the twisted metal of a car".**

Lissa covered her face and leaned against Christian as everyone shot her sympathetic looks.

"**The pictures wrapped around me, suffocating me, until some rational part of my brain reminded me that this wasn't my dream**. **I woke up, strands of long, dark hair sticking to my forehead.****  
****Lissa lay in her bed, thrashing and screaming. I bolted out of mine, quickly crossing the few feet that separated us".**

"**"Liss," I said, shaking her. "Liss, wake up."****  
****Her screams dropped off, replaced by soft whimpers. "Andre," she moaned. "Oh God."****  
****I helped her sit up. "Liss, you aren't there anymore. Wake up."**

"**After a few moments, her eyes fluttered open, and in the dim lighting, I could see a flicker of consciousness start to take over. Her frantic breathing slowed, and she leaned into me, resting her head against my shoulder. I put an arm around her and ran a hand over her hair".**

"Rose, being nice?" Christian asked. Lissa giggled softly and stood up to give me a hug.

"She's always nice" she said. "But if you get on the wrong end of her, she'll scratch your face off". Everyone laughed and I smirked, knowing too well I could cause some serious damage if I wanted too.

"I remember in combat class, when Mike Colt and you were sparring. You winked just before he was going to aim a good punch at your arm, his face was priceless" Eddie exclaimed.

"Oh, I remember that" I laughed. "He just went blank and I kicked him in the leg. I think someone got it on tape".

Eddie's face suddenly went bright. He stood up and grabbed his 'man' bag off of one of the table chairs and pulled out his laptop.

"What are you doing?" I asked. He smiled and motioned for everyone to come and look at his computer. _Oh god. _A file named SENIOR YEAR popped up and he clicked on it. The first slide was a video of me, Mason and Eddie running across to the moroi dorms.

"Oh shit" I cried. Dimitri put his head on my shoulder and leaned closer into watch.

"_What the fuck are we doing?" Mason muttered as we rounded a corner towards the back of the dorms. Eddie winked mischievously at the camera and I giggled _("WTF" Christian said) _as we began to scale the old brick wall._

"_Rose, hey, wait!" Eddie attached the camera onto the loop of his jeans and began to climb after me. We jumped through an open window and started to walk down towards the male dorms._

"Wait, is that my room?!" Christian yelped.

"Maybe" I said. His eyes suddenly narrowed and a look of disbelief crossed across his face.

"May I ask, was it you guys who trashed my room?"

"We were badass motherfuckers, what did you expect?" I shouted. Eddie replied with a "Of course it was us" and we high fived across his lap.

"_Have you got the spray paint?" Eddie asked. "Of course I have" I replied "What are we going to vandalize his room with? Crayons?"_

_We slipped across the tiled floors and I used the edge of my nails to flick open the lock. We shimmied inside the empty room and dumped the contents of Eddie's bag on the floor. I grabbed a can of pink paint and shook it in my hands. Eddie and mason both took marker pens and we scattered across the room._

_I expertly wrote 'Rose Hathaway is the best and Christian Ozera is an asswipe', Eddie drew an array of male genital's on his quilt and Mason copied out at least six lines of Taylor Swift '22' on his pillow. When we heard the door unlock, I quickly launched myself out of the window and Mason followed, but before Eddie shut off the camera and spun it around so his face was clear on the screen._

"_Hey Christian!" He cried "You just got punk'd!" The camera shut off. _

Everyone started laughing, even my Mum and mobster Father. Adrian took the laptop and clicked 'play'. The next clip came on the view. It was me and Lissa; we were all (minus Dimitri and my parents and Sydney) around Adrian's and were playing truth or dare.

"Oh my gosh shut it off!" Lissa shrieked. Adrian shook his head and put the volume on the maximum.

"_I don't want to do this!" Lissa shouted. Mia giggled in the background and switched on Adrian's karaoke machine whilst I handed Lissa a microphone and winked._

_Britney spear's 'I'm a slave 4 U' started playing. Lissa groaned as I grabbed her hands and started dancing, swinging my hips and shaking my ass like I worked at a strip club._

"Mum, Abe, please close your eyes" I cried. I heard someone whisper 'kill me now' behind my back, but all I could feel was Dimitri smiling against the back of my neck.

_Rose: I know I may be young, but I've got feelings too._

_Lissa: And I need to do what I feel like doing._

_Rose: So let me go, and just listen._

_We started doing this dance routine we learnt whilst on the run; a mixture of dirty dancing and just random hand movements._

_Lissa: All you people look at me like I'm a little girl (cue slut drop)_

_Rose: Well did you ever think that I'd be ok for me to step into this world (hair flick and wink)_

_Lissa: Always saying little girl don't step into the club_

_Lissa: Well I'm just trying to find out why cause dancing's what I love._

_Rose: Get it get it get it get it (oh)_

_Rose: Get it get it get it get it (oh)_

_Rose: get it get it get it get it (oh)_

"You look hot" Dimitri whispered in my ear, forcing a shiver from under my skin.

_Both: I'm a slave, for you. I cannot hold it, I cannot control it_

_Both: I'm a slave for you. I won't deny it, I'm not trying to hide it._

_We both started swinging our arms and shaking our hair out, and when the song finished, both dropped and then rose really slowly. Christian was staring, mouth open at the opposite side of the room and Mia, Eddie and Adrian were clapping and laughing (although Adrian kept on looking at my legs, that pervy bastard)._

The clip ended, leaving me and Lissa (more Lissa) blushing like crazy. There was only one slide left, and this one made me a little speechless. Eddie, Mia, Adrian, Christian and Lissa had managed to sneak into the gym, and me and Dimitri were sparring.

"How the hell did you guys get in?" I said. They all winked and shook their head, refusing to answer. I huffed and leaned against Dimitri, who ruffled my hair and kept one arm securely around my waist.

**No one's POV.**

"_Everyone, shush!" Eddie whispered as him, Lissa, Adrian, Christian and Mia sat secluded in the corner of the gym. Rose and Dimitri were both stood in the centre of a training mat, both of their arms poised in tight fists and legs straightened and lean._

_Rose leapt in first, arms clenched and aimed for Dimitri's shoulder. He moved quickly to the side and pinned her arms behind his; she cried out and jabbed him painfully in the stomach and flipped out of his arms, kicking him again in the same place on his stomach. He grunted loudly and only just kept on his feet, his ponytail swinging furiously behind his head. Rose smiled deviously and stretched out her arms, obviously thinking he was out of it._

"_Rose is going to get her ass whipped. I can feel it"_ _Adrian declared._

_Lissa made a 'hmph' noise. "Just because you're a spirit user, it doesn't mean you're a fortune teller"._

"_Too tired, old man?" Rose asked in an overly innocent voice. Dimitri shook his head, pumped his fist out and punched Rose square in the collarbone. She cried out, began to fall, but Dimitri caught her wrist before she hit the ground._

"_You know" Mia said "They'd make a pretty cute couple. They're both strong, good looking and work well together. Don't you think, Lissa?"_

Rose gaped at Mia. She'd thought her and Dimitri would be a good couple, before they'd come out and gave into their feelings? Mia smiled at her and added, "What? I was right, you two are darn right adorable".

"We're not 'adorable'" Rose huffed. Everyone laughed and Dimitri clutched her hand tight and kissed Rose on the cheek. The girls 'awwed' and Christian pretended to puke. Rose flipped him the finger and they all carried on watching.

"_They would actually" Eddie said. Lissa looked dumbstruck, and then nodded in agreement._

"_I don't know why I never saw it" she marvelled. "They'd be perfect"._

"_Okay, enough of the girly crap. I'm beginning to feel nauseous" Christian exclaimed. Adrian nodded._

_The camera panned back on Rose and Dimitri, but the moment was lost. Dimitri had sat back down and Rose had started lifting weights. The camera shut off._

**Rose POV.**

"Okay, can we read some more of the book and get it over with?" I asked. Everyone nodded and we all sat back down.

"**"It's okay," I told her gently. "Everything's okay."******

**"I had that dream."******

**"Yeah. I know."******

**We sat like that for several minutes, not saying anything else. When I felt her emotions calm down, I leaned over to the nightstand between our beds and turned on the lamp. It glowed dimly, but neither of us really needed much to see by. Attracted by the light, our housemate's cat, Oscar, leapt up onto the sill of the open window. He gave me a wide berth - animals don't like dhampirs, for whatever reason - but jumped onto the bed and rubbed his head against Lissa, purring softly. Animals didn't have a problem with Moroi, and they all loved Lissa in particular. Smiling, she scratched his chin, and I felt her calm further.******

**"When did we last do a feeding?" I asked, studying her face. **

"Rose" My Mum groaned. I shook my head and tried to ignore the pressing amount of pity which seemed to radiate off everyone looking at me. Dimitri whispered softly in my ear; it was Russian and I didn't understand any of it, but it made me feel a little less vulnerable.

**Her fair skin was paler than usual. Dark circles hung under her eyes, and there was an air of frailty about her. School had been hectic this week, and I couldn't remember the last time I'd given her blood. "It's been like…more than two days, hasn't it? Three? Why didn't you say anything?"******

**She shrugged and wouldn't meet my eyes. "You were busy. I didn't want to - "******

**"Screw that," I said, shifting into a better position. No wonder she seemed so weak. Oscar, not wanting me any closer, leapt down and returned to the window, where he could watch at a safe distance. "Come on. Let's do this."******

**"Rose - "******

**"Come on. It'll make you feel better."******

**I tilted my head and tossed my hair back, baring my neck. I saw her hesitate, but the sight of my neck and what it offered proved too powerful. A hungry expression crossed her face, and her lips parted slightly, exposing the fangs she normally kept hidden while living among humans. Those fangs contrasted oddly with the rest of her features. With her pretty face and pale blond hair, she looked more like an angel than a vampire.**

"My Angel" Christian whispered.

"Ugh, get a room" I replied, causing Eddie to chuckle and Lissa blush scarlet.****

**As her teeth neared my bare skin, I felt my heart race with a mix of fear and anticipation.**

Dimitri's arms tightened around me.

**I always hated feeling the latter, but it was nothing I could help, a weakness I couldn't shake.******

**Her fangs bit into me, hard, and I cried out at the brief flare of pain. Then it faded, replaced by a wonderful, golden joy that spread through my body. It was better than any of the times I'd been drunk or high.**

"WHAT?!" My Mum and Abe shouted.

**Better than sex**

"Alright, who was the bastard? I will go and burn down his house and then burn down his garden and then bury his body in the ashes and burn it down all over again" Abe ranted. Eddie had grabbed his camera and had managed to get the whole thing on tape. He'd also gotten a clip of Dimitri, who looked like he wanted to dissolve into water and drip away under the floorboards.

"Dad, I didn't lose my virginity in this book" I told him. He relaxed a little, but then his shoulders tensed again.

"Then, who with and when did you?" I bit the inside of my cheek and glared at Adrian, who looked like he wanted to pee himself from laughing.

"Well, from looking at the cover's of the books, I mostly likely had sex for the first time in the third one, shadow kiss" I wrinkled my nose at the name "And I lost it to Dimitri. Before you burn his body, please take into account that I lost my V-card when I wanted to, and it felt right. And I am a grown woman and it was my choice!". Abe sent Dimitri one death glare and relaxed back down in his seat, whilst my Mum looked like she wanted to kick some shit up.

**- or so I imagined, since I'd never done it. It was a blanket of pure, refined pleasure, wrapping me up and promising everything would be right in the world. On and on it went. The chemicals in her saliva triggered an endorphin rush, and I lost track of the world, lost track of who I was.******

**Then, regretfully, it was over. It had taken less than a minute.******

**She pulled back, wiping her hand across her lips as she studied me. "You okay?"******

**"I…yeah." I lay back on the bed, dizzy from the blood loss. "I just need to sleep it off. I'm fine."******

**Her pale, jade-green eyes watched me with concern. She stood up. "I'm going to get you something to eat."******

**My protests came awkwardly to my lips, and she left before I could get out a sentence. The buzz from her bite had lessened as soon as she broke the connection, but some of it still lingered in my veins, and I felt a goofy smile cross my lips. Turning my head, I glanced up at Oscar, still sitting in the window.******

**"You don't know what you're missing," I told him.**

"And you say you're not crazy?" Christian stated. I chucked a pillow at his head and watched as he rubbed the red mark on his forehead with satisfaction.****

**His attention was on something outside. Hunkering down into a crouch, he puffed out his jet-black fur. His tail started twitching.******

**My smile faded, and I forced myself to sit up. The world spun, and I waited for it to right itself before trying to stand. When I managed it, the dizziness set in again and this time refused to leave. Still, I felt okay enough to stumble to the window and peer out with Oscar. He eyed me warily, scooted over a little, and then returned to whatever had held his attention.******

**A warm breeze - unseasonably warm for a Portland fall - played with my hair as I leaned out. The street was dark and relatively quiet. It was three in the morning, just about the only time a college campus settled down, at least somewhat. The house in which we'd rented a room for the past eight months sat on a residential street with old, mismatched houses. Across the road, a streetlight flickered, nearly ready to burn out. It still cast enough light for me to make out the shapes of cars and buildings. In our own yard, I could see the silhouettes of trees and bushes.******

**And a man watching me.**

"Oh my god that's kinda' creepy" Mia said. I turned to Dimitri and winked. Luckily, only Lissa saw and smiled at me, fully aware that the 'creepy' man had been him. ****

**I jerked back in surprise. A figure stood by a tree in the yard, about thirty feet away, where he could easily see through the window. He was close enough that I probably could have thrown something and hit him. He was certainly close enough that he could have seen what Lissa and I had just done.******

**The shadows covered him so well that even with my heightened sight, I couldn't make out any of his features, save for his height. He was tall. Really tall. He stood there for just a moment, barely discernible, and then stepped back, disappearing into the shadows cast by the trees on the far side of the yard. I was pretty sure I saw someone else move nearby and join him before the blackness swallowed them both.******

**Whoever these figures were, Oscar didn't like them. Not counting me, he usually got along with most people, growing upset only when someone posed an immediate danger. The guy outside hadn't done anything threatening to Oscar, but the cat had sensed something, something that put him on edge.******

**Something similar to what he always sensed in me.******

**Icy fear raced through me, almost - but not quite - eradicating the lovely bliss of Lissa's bite. Backing up from the window, I jerked on a pair of jeans that I found on the floor, nearly falling over in the process. Once they were on, I grabbed my coat and Lissa's, along with our wallets. Shoving my feet into the first shoes I saw, I headed out the door.******

**Downstairs, I found her in the cramped kitchen, rummaging through the refrigerator. One of our housemates, Jeremy, sat at the table, hand on his forehead as he stared sadly at a calculus book. Lissa regarded me with surprise.******

**"You shouldn't be up."******

**"We have to go. Now."******

**Her eyes widened, and then a moment later, understanding clicked in. "Are you…really? Are you sure?"******

**I nodded. I couldn't explain how I knew for sure. I just did.******

**Jeremy watched us curiously. "What's wrong?"******

**An idea came to mind. "Liss, get his car keys."******

**He looked back and forth between us. "What are you - "******

**Lissa unhesitatingly walked over to him. Her fear poured into me through our psychic bond, but there was something else too: her complete faith that I would take care of everything, that we would be safe. Like always, I hoped I was worthy of that kind of trust.**

"Of course you are, Rose! You're my best friend!" I blinked back a few tears and met her for a hug. We leant back for a minute and did our old handshake; two fist bumps, claps and 'You mess with my bitch, you mess with two crazy ass bitches with rifles' at the end. We sat back down whilst everyone else shook their heads in exasperation, but mostly happiness at our amazing handshake (I think so anyways).****

**She smiled broadly and gazed directly into his eyes. For a moment, Jeremy just stared, still confused, and then I saw the thrall seize him. His eyes glazed over, and he regarded her adoringly.**

"Compulsion" Mia, Sydney, Adrian and Abe said. Lissa and I nodded. ****

**"We need to borrow your car," she said in a gentle voice. "Where are your keys?"******

**He smiled, and I shivered. I had a high resistance to compulsion, but I could still feel its effects when it was directed at another person. That, and I'd been taught my entire life that using it was wrong. Reaching into his pocket, Jeremy handed over a set of keys hanging on a large red key chain.******

**"Thank you," said Lissa. "And where is it parked?"******

**"Down the street," he said dreamily. "At the corner. By Brown." Four blocks away.******

**"Thank you," she repeated, backing up. "As soon as we leave, I want you to go back to studying. Forget you ever saw us tonight."******

**He nodded obligingly. I got the impression he would have walked off a cliff for her right then if she'd asked. All humans were susceptible to compulsion, but Jeremy appeared weaker than most. That came in handy right now.******

**"Come on," I told her. "We've got to move."******

**We stepped outside, heading toward the corner he'd named. I was still dizzy from the bite and kept stumbling, unable to move as quickly as I wanted. Lissa had to catch hold of me a few times to stop me from falling. All the time, that anxiety rushed into me from her mind. I tried my best to ignore it; I had my own fears to deal with.**

"Woah, Rosie's got fears" Christian smirked.

"Woah, Christian's a massive dickhead" I replied primly. ****

**"Rose…what are we going to do if they catch us?" she whispered.******

**"They won't," I said fiercely. "I won't let them."******

**"But if they've found us - "******

**"They found us before. They didn't catch us then. We'll just drive over to the train station and go to L.A. They'll lose the trail."******

**I made it sound simple. I always did, even though there was nothing simple about being on the run from the people we'd grown up with. We'd been doing it for two years, hiding wherever we could and just trying to finish high school. Our senior year had just started, and living on a college campus had seemed safe. We were so close to freedom.******

**She said nothing more, and I felt her faith in me surge up once more. This was the way it had always been between us. I was the one who took action, who made sure things happened - sometimes recklessly so. She was the more reasonable one, the one who thought things out and researched them extensively before acting. Both styles had their uses, but at the moment, recklessness was called for. We didn't have time to hesitate.******

**Lissa and I had been best friends ever since kindergarten, when our teacher had paired us together for writing lessons. Forcing five-year-olds to spell Vasilisa Dragomir and Rosemarie Hathaway was beyond cruel, and we'd - or rather, I'd - responded appropriately. I'd chucked my book at our teacher and called her a fascist bastard. I hadn't known what those words meant, but I'd known how to hit a moving target.**

Everyone laughed whilst me and Lissa highfived. Mrs Heldrew had been a complete bitch, the book had probably helped her face in the long run. ****

**Lissa and I had been inseparable ever since.******

**"Do you hear that?" she asked suddenly.******

**It took me a few seconds to pick up what her sharper senses already had. Footsteps, moving fast. I grimaced. We had two more blocks to go.******

**"We've got to run for it," I said, catching hold of her arm.******

**"But you can't - "******

**"Run."******

**It took every ounce of my willpower not to pass out on the sidewalk. My body didn't want to run after losing blood or while still metabolizing the effects of her saliva. But I ordered my muscles to stop their bitching**

"Haha, bitching" Eddie giggled. We all looked at him with 'What the fucking hell are you on?' expressions.

**and clung to Lissa as our feet pounded against the concrete. Normally I could have outrun her without any extra effort - particularly since she was barefoot - but tonight, she was all that held me upright.******

**The pursuing footsteps grew louder, closer. Black stars danced before my eyes. Ahead of us, I could make out Jeremy's green Honda. Oh God, if we could just make it -******

**Ten feet from the car, a man stepped directly into our path. **

"OMG THE CREEPY MAN!" Mia cried.

**We came to a screeching halt, and I jerked Lissa back by her arm. It was him, the guy I'd seen across the street watching me. He was older than us, maybe mid-twenties, and as tall as I'd figured, probably six-six or six-seven. And under different circumstances - say, when he wasn't holding up our desperate escape - I would have thought he was hot. Shoulder-length brown hair, tied back in a short ponytail. Dark brown eyes. A long brown coat-a duster, I thought it was called.**

"Wait, so the creepy man was Dimitri?" Adrian asked.

"Yep. But he's not creepy, just hot" I replied. I gave Dimitri a quick kiss and snuggled into his warm, muscular arms.****

**But his hotness was irrelevant now. He was only an obstacle keeping Lissa and me away from the car and our freedom. The footsteps behind us slowed, and I knew our pursuers had caught up. Off to the sides, I detected more movement, more people closing in. God. They'd sent almost a dozen guardians to retrieve us. I couldn't believe it. The queen herself didn't travel with that many.******

**Panicked and not entirely in control of my higher reasoning, I acted out of instinct. I pressed up to Lissa, keeping her behind me and away from the man who appeared to be the leader.******

**"Leave her alone," I growled. "Don't touch her."******

**His face was unreadable, but he held out his hands in what was apparently supposed to be some sort of calming gesture, like I was a rabid animal he was planning to sedate.******

**"I'm not going to - "******

**He took a step forward. Too close.******

**I attacked him, leaping out in an offensive maneuver I hadn't used in two years, not since Lissa and I had run away. The move was stupid, another reaction born of instinct and fear. And it was hopeless. He was a skilled guardian, not a novice who hadn't finished his training. He also wasn't weak and on the verge of passing out.**

"I know, I know it was stupid!" I said before anyone could tell me what a massive dumbass I had been. ****

**And man, was he fast. I'd forgotten how fast guardians could be, how they could move and strike like cobras. He knocked me off as though brushing away a fly, and his hands slammed into me and sent me backwards. I don't think he meant to strike that hard - probably just intended to keep me away - but my lack of coordination interfered with my ability to respond. Unable to catch my footing, I started to fall, heading straight toward the sidewalk at a twisted angle, hip-first. It was going to hurt. A lot.**

"Ouch" Everyone agreed.****

**Only it didn't.**

"Omgosh, he caught you didn't he?" Mia gushed.****

**Just as quickly as he'd blocked me, the man reached out and caught my arm, keeping me upright.**

"Aw" Sydney, Mia and Lissa cooed.

**When I'd steadied myself, I noticed he was staring at me - or, more precisely, at my neck. Still disoriented, I didn't get it right away. Then, slowly, my free hand reached up to the side of my throat and lightly touched the wound Lissa had made earlier. When I pulled my fingers back, I saw slick, dark blood on my skin. Embarrassed, I shook my hair so that it fell forward around my face. My hair was thick and long and completely covered my neck. I'd grown it out for precisely this reason.******

**The guy's dark eyes lingered on the now-covered bite a moment longer and then met mine. I returned his look defiantly and quickly jerked out of his hold. He let me go, though I knew he could have restrained me all night if he'd wanted.**

Adrian waggled his eyebrows whilst I groaned. Dimitri put his chin on the top of my head, I could feel his smile through my skull, that bastard.

**Fighting the nauseating dizziness, I backed toward Lissa again, bracing myself for another attack. Suddenly, her hand caught hold of mine. "Rose," she said quietly. "Don't."******

**Her words had no effect on me at first, but calming thoughts gradually began to settle in my mind, coming across through the bond. It wasn't exactly compulsion - she wouldn't use that on me - but it was effectual, as was the fact that we were hopelessly outnumbered and outclassed. Even I knew struggling would be pointless. The tension left my body, and I sagged in defeat.**

"Defeat?" Everyone said at the same time.

"Yeah, defeat" I replied. Everyone looked at me in amazement. ****

**Sensing my resignation, the man stepped forward, turning his attention to Lissa. His face was calm. He swept her a bow and managed to look graceful doing it, which surprised me considering his height. "My name is Dimitri Belikov," he said. I could hear a faint Russian accent. "I've come to take you back to St. Vladimir's **Academy**, Princess."**

"That's the end of chapter 1" I said. "Who's next?" Eddie held out his hands and I passed him the book.


End file.
